Ernestine Chasing Hawk: 'Low-life bullies' attack my reporting on Indian hospital

Wednesday, April 3, 2019  

First of all I am not one to engage in online tit-for-tat when my integrity as a journalist is being challenged. I spent many years on the therapy couch learning when you engage, you open yourself up to victimization by the other party.

So mostly I just use a breathing technique I learned, knowing that words can be twisted and skewed to meet anyone’s viewpoint. Had I known sooner how simple it is to shrug off insults through deep breathing, I could have saved myself much heartache and pain.

And believe me I’ve been gut punched many times by words thrown at me in the heat of an argument and I’ve also held my own in those arguments only to have the opposing party hit below the belt, attacking my age, my hair color, my weight, my body, my family of origin, etc. etc.

The ability to fling insults and innuendo is limitless especially when you’re a journalist. However as a journalist you also develop a pretty tough exterior, because if you don’t you’re emotions are flung about like the wind sock man on the corner of Omaha and East Blvd.

However because I believe I am being victimized by low-life bullies at Lakota Country Times and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, through a very public platform on a very serious matter, the future of Sioux San Hospital, I believe I must respond. I believe some very important details must be clarified and also because some of what I have been accused of are outright lies.

I am an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and grew up around Eagle Butte and Bear Creek on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. I also spent much time on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation with my grandmother Cecelia One Bull, granddaughter of Wiyaka Waste Win, Sitting Bulls sister. I grew up speaking the Lakota language and have retained much of what I learned as a child. Ca nahahci miye ma Lakota, ayash neesh dok?

When I began writing about the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board’s planned takeover of Sioux San Hospital via a 638 contract and a proposed move to land donated by Hani Shafei, I admit I was ill informed about the issue. The only things I knew were stories I had read in the Rapid City Journal and Native Sun News Today and when my ex-husband Robert Chasing Hawk, who was on the Unified Health Board, came to town for meetings we visited about what was happening.

In fact on Native American Day I attended an event with Robert at Sioux Park and as I was walking past Jerilyn Church the CEO of GPTCHB, she said, “She looks like a clown.” I have purple hair and I’m sure that’s why she made such an unprofessional remark. I admit I was unnerved by her remark but I just took several deep breaths and continued to cover the story.

Then I became involved with the Sioux San issue when Charmaine White Face and Teresa Spry came into the office of Native Sun News Today and voiced their concerns about the takeover of Sioux San. A couple of weeks later Charmaine sent an email to the office about a meeting of the Common Council Legal and Finance Committee at City Hall, so I went. I also attended a meeting of the Common Council a few days later where the topic of Sioux San was on the table. There were many tribal leaders there including Willy Bear Shield, whom LCT has accused of not being involved for some time.

I reported on what I heard at those meetings however like many others I had many, many unanswered questions. I spent hours investigating the issue and sent emails to both the GPTCHB and the Indian Health Service and spent many hours visiting with Robert Chasing Hawk who provided pertinent details.

A group called the Rapid City Concerned Indian Community Members formed, consisting of Dr. Art Zimiga, Charmaine White Face, Teresa Spry, Mark Lone Hill and Jeannie Ashley and they arranged a meeting at the Mother Butler Center.

I attended that meeting and again listened to the concerns of the Rapid City Indian Community. I began to understand the importance of community involvement. Dr. Pat Lee gave the most compelling argument when he said, “We can’t go to tribal council and present resolutions and most importantly we can’t vote. We have to convince IHS that we are the community.”

Contact Ernestine Chasing Hawk at staffwriter@nativesunnews.today

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today